


dog meets boy

by nightbloomings



Category: Pacific Rim (2013)
Genre: Alternate Universe - No Kaiju, Developing Relationship, Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-06-12
Updated: 2014-06-25
Packaged: 2018-02-04 07:33:48
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 10,673
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1770895
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nightbloomings/pseuds/nightbloomings
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>First Raleigh met Max. Then he met Chuck.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> i've had this idea in my head for a while, ever since i saw a cute guy untying his dog's leash from a bike rack outside a 7/11, while on the way home from work. it wasn't even a bulldog so i'm still not sure how _that_ turned into _this_ , but here we are. hope you like!
> 
> (and thanks to [Synekdokee](http://archiveofourown.org/users/Synekdokee/works) for helping me brainstorm, as usual!)

Chuck could hear Max's feet scrabbling on the floor before he'd put the key in the lock. It was the same as it was every day; somehow the dog always knew it was him.

"Hey, handsome." Chuck stooped to pet Max before taking his shoes off—making him wait any longer than strictly necessary was reason enough to be barked at.

When Max was suitably greeted, he trotted off down the hallway. He'd be waiting outside Chuck's bedroom door by the time he finished putting his shoes away. Chuck followed down the hallway, pulling his tie off as he went. When he opened the door to his room, Max rushed inside and automatically took up his favourite spot on Chuck's bed, near the pillows.

He sat and watched Chuck as he went about the usual routine—hang up the tie, suit jacket and pants, put the dress shirt in the hamper, and throw on a pair of jeans and a t-shirt. Chuck grabbed a cap this time as well and pulled it on as he whistled to Max. Max leapt off the bed and headed for the front door again.

It'd been the usual routine for about five months, ever since Chuck had gotten his internship and developed a more consistent schedule than what he'd had in uni. This part of his day wasn't anything more than taking his dog for a walk after work, but Chuck appreciated the structure of it all the same. Work was stressful as shit, most of the time. It was good to have this one thing to look forward to each day.

Max was sitting directly below his leash where it hung from the peg on the wall, tongue lolling to the side as he watched Chuck slip on his usual pair of trainers. Chuck grabbed the leash and bent to clip it to Max's collar.

"Would that you had opposable thumbs to take care of all this yourself, hey, buddy?"

Max barked and moved directly in front of the door, squeezing his round backside through it as Chuck pulled it open.

It was hot as balls outside, hotter than it usually was for the middle of May, and Chuck was a bit thankful that Max didn't seem interested in travelling very far. By the time they'd circled back to the 7/11 a couple blocks away from their condo, Max was panting heavily.

Chuck took one look at him, and was instantly parched himself. They were out of milk and paper towels anyway, so he decided to stop in.

"Back in a jiff, bud," Chuck told Max as he stooped to tie the leash to the empty bike rack outside the store.

From inside, Chuck could see Max being greeted by a few people as they walked by—it happened a lot; he was a charming little fucker—and he heard him bark a few times, probably at the ones ignoring him. Chuck smiled to himself as he pulled a few drinks out of the display. Cocky self-assurance was truly a Hansen family trait, clearly.

As Chuck stood in line to pay, he glanced outside again, but couldn't see Max. The back of some blond guy, stooped low to the ground, was in the way.

After two people passed through the line, the guy was still there, and Chuck still couldn't see Max. He frowned and willed the line to move faster—maybe it was nothing, but it wouldn't be the first time he'd heard of a dog being stolen whilst tied up outside some place.

Finally Chuck paid and he strode out of the store, a small wave of relief passing through him when he got closer to Max and saw he was there. The blond guy was holding his palm out to Max, and Max was licking it eagerly.

"Oi!" Chuck called as he walked up, but the guy didn't react. Chuck then noticed the white earbuds he was wearing, and came up beside him. The guy glanced over at Chuck's shoe, before looking up at Chuck over his shoulder.

Shit. The potential dog-maimer was pretty.

"Oh, hey," the guy said, smiling easily and pulling his earbuds out. His smile was... well, whatever. It was good—really good—but Chuck couldn't bring himself to return it, not with Max having possibly ingested something.

Did tanned, blond men with really blue eyes and bright smiles poison dogs on the regular? Chuck sure as hell hoped not.

The guy's smile faded when Chuck didn't reciprocate, and he stood, idly wiping his palm on the side of his slacks. He didn't break eye contact though, which was equal parts unnerving and intriguing to Chuck.

"That's a real nice dog—"

"Did you give him something?" Chuck said, quickly untying Max's leash. "Your hand, he was licking it for a long time. If you slipped him some—"

The guy laughed and held his hands up, palms out, and shook his head. "Didn't give him anything more than few good scratches behind the ears, promise."

Max barked then, leaning heavily against Chuck's leg, and Chuck narrowed his eyes at the guy. "Right," he said curtly, and then set off, clicking his tongue at Max to follow. "C'mon, Max."

"See you around, Max," the guy called after them, and Chuck could practically _hear_ that bloody smile over his shoulder.

XX

It was Thursday of the next week when Raleigh saw Max and his owner again. He'd skipped out of work a little early, after Mako said it'd be no problem. Summers were always painfully slow, apparently, with clients more interested in enjoying their vacation homes than discussing plans to build new ones.

"Besides," Mako had said, as Raleigh was logging off his computer, "Elementary is on tonight, isn't it."

"Yeah, but... well maybe I have a date."

"Mm, yes. Or maybe it's just Elementary night."

"One of these days, Mori, it's going to be a date, and then I'm not gonna give you any details."

Mako had given him that enigmatic smile of hers that seemed to suit so many situations. "We both know you wouldn't be able to keep them to yourself. Now, go."

The 7/11 on Churchill was maybe a little out of Raleigh's way, by several blocks, and there was a mom-and-pop convenience store closer to his building, but—there was no excuse, he was shamelessly hoping to run into Max the bulldog and his nameless Australian guardian again.

And he grinned as he approached the store, when he saw that Max was tethered outside. He barked when Raleigh got close.

"Hey, buddy," Raleigh said, kneeling to scratch the top of Max's head, as he tried to lick all over Raleigh's hand again. "Uh-uh, you're gonna get me in trouble again with that shit," he added, standing and pulling his earbuds out before going into the store.

He scanned the inside quickly from the entrance but didn't spot Max's owner. He moved over to the alcohol display case and pulled out a six-pack of his favourite lager—well, there were far better out there, but a man had to make do with what he was given. He headed for the chip aisle next, and as came around the side of an energy drink display, he saw his target across from him on the other side of the aisle.

"Hey," Raleigh said, smiling wide when he looked up at him. "Full disclosure, I saw Max outside and he licked my hand a few times—totally unprovoked—but that was it."

The guy gave him a slight scowl, and glanced quickly towards the front door.

"Raleigh," he continued, when he didn't get any other response. He held his hand out over the chest-high partition between the aisles, and smiled again when the guy took it.

"Chuck."

"Just grabbing a few things for Elementary tonight."

"Yeah, I'm—" Chuck paused before breaking eye contact, glancing outside again. "Same."

Raleigh smiled that at least they had that much in common. "So good, right? I have no idea how anything's gonna end, with Watson, and then Sherlock and Mycroft, but man it's entertaining."

Chuck nodded and started towards the checkout. "Yeah, real suspenseful."

Raleigh grabbed the nearest bag of chips and followed down his aisle. "And the acting, it's totally something else, don't you think? I mean this should be on HBO or AMC or something, for how high quality it is."

Chuck nodded and bit out a "yeah," eyes glued to where Max was tied up outside. Raleigh was losing him, if he ever even had him in the first place, and babbling on about a show was really lame but he didn't exactly have much else to go on.

Chuck reached the till and Raleigh figured he'd pay and free up Max before Raleigh had a chance to catch up again, but then they opened a second till and Raleigh threw a quick thank you to whichever deity was looking out for him that afternoon.

Raleigh was a few steps behind Chuck out the door. "He's purebred, right?" He asked, following a few steps behind Chuck as he began untying Max's leash.

"Yeah."

"How old?"

Chuck threw a short glance at Raleigh next to him as he pulled the leash free. "Five."

Raleigh smiled at Chuck, trying to feed as much warmth and charm into it as he could. He had no idea if Chuck was even interested in him—and he suspected that he probably wasn't—but Raleigh was nothing if not determined.

"He's an awesome dog."

Chuck stood and considered Raleigh for a moment, as if trying to get a read on him somehow.

"Yeah, he sure is." He looped the leash around his fist a few times and tugged Max away in the opposite direction. "C'mon, Max."

Max resisted, panting at Raleigh, but Chuck kept walking and Max gave up, turning and running to get ahead of Chuck. Raleigh hung back for a moment, taking in the sight of Chuck's well-formed ass in his jeans as he walked away, and so while not an outright victory, it was definitely worth the diversion, Raleigh figured.

XX

It'd been a long day for Chuck, and he was looking forward to sinking into the couch and spending the night with his Playstation. He still stopped at the 7/11 after his walk with Max, however, because his craving for M&Ms was stronger than his desire to get home.

Max was miraculously alone when Chuck emerged from the store. Maybe his biggest fan's radar was on the fritz... Chuck stooped to work the leash free from the bike rack, and—

"I wondered if I might run into you two out here..."

Chuck froze, one arm looped around the rack. Spoke too soon. He'd recognise the smile in that voice anywhere, but even if he couldn't, who else had popped up nearly every time he and Max had stopped off at this place in the couple weeks?

He tried to keep his expression neutral when he stood and turned around—he wasn't really annoyed per se, but... it was weird. Wasn't it? This Raleigh guy seeming so interested in Max? Max was worthy of the attention, no doubt, but it just seemed... off. Chuck was beginning to feel like he needed to keep an eye on Max whenever he tied him up, and he really didn't want to have to start making detours in his route.

Maybe scaring the guy off would work. He didn't much want to do that either—he was pretty as hell, after all, with that soft-looking hair and square jaw, but Max came first.

"What’s your game, mate?"

Raleigh quirked an eyebrow and pointed a finger to his own chest. “My game?”

"Yeah. I mean, what are you? Some sort of dog stalker?"

Raleigh chuckled. "A dog stalker… do those even exist?"

Chuck scowled. "Of course they do! You fixing to steal Max here one of these days? Sell him on the… black market or whatever?" He swallowed thickly—Raleigh was staring at him, eyes bright and crinkled at the corners by his wide smile. He was being really distracting, and it was irritating. "Purebreds and all, bet they fetch a fair bit."

Raleigh hummed. "I bet they do," he said, glancing down at Max and winking at him before looking back up at Chuck. He still had that blasted smile spread across his full lips. "That’s what you think? That I’m planning to steal your dog?"

Chuck pressed his lips together and shrugged. He was starting to realise how stupid it all sounded… but pride, and all that. "Well why else are you so interested in my dog?"

Raleigh took a few steps closer, close enough that Chuck got a faint whiff of his end-of-day cologne. It was really musky and… nice. "What if I’ve been trying to work up the courage to ask you out?"

Chuck swallowed again, and Raleigh's eyes darted to his throat, to the bob of his Adam's apple. Then the bastard met Chuck's eyes again and bloody well licked his lower lip.

"Me?"

Raleigh's mouth hitched up in a crooked smile. "Well, as cool as Max is, I'm not looking to take _him_ out."

Well, shit. That was unexpected. Or maybe it wasn't... maybe it should have been obvious? Raleigh did smile an awful lot for one person...

Chuck felt his palms start to get a bit clammy and he knew he had to say something. It was nearing the point of awkward, the silence between them. But Chuck's brain was still stuck on how wrong he'd read this whole thing... what could he say now to not seem really fucking lame? Just 'yeah okay' was stupid. Maybe...

"I dunno, mate—considering how much you seem to ask after him..."

Deflection. Chuck's failsafe.

Raleigh cocked his head, and then glanced down to smile at Max. "Look," he said, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a business card and a pen. "There's this place a few blocks from here that I really like—good music, lots of different craft beers. Why don't you meet me there later? Say, eight?" He paused and scribbled something on the back of the card before handing it to Chuck. "If you want to. If you don't, I'll just enjoy a few beers by myself and I'll try to forget about how much I like Max..."

Chuck opened his mouth to answer, but he wasn't sure what to say. He'd never been in this position before, randomly being asked out by a stranger. Stuff had always just sort of... developed before, in uni.

Raleigh smiled again when Chuck didn't say anything; it was something small and really kind of cute. "No need to answer—if I see you, I see you; if I don't, I don't. But I hope I do."

Raleigh moved past Chuck, continuing down the sidewalk. Chuck watched him in stunned stillness for a few moments, realising it was the first time Raleigh had managed to walk away from one of their encounters first. He was practically swaggering.

Chuck remembered the business card in his hand then, and ran the pad of his thumb along the edge. The typeface was bold and crisp—Pentecost Design. Architecture, if Chuck remembered correctly. Then, 'Raleigh Becket, Associate' and his business and mobile numbers. Chuck turned the card over to see what Raleigh had written on the back. 'The Carson @ 1283 Stowe.' It struck Chuck as odd, to write something so simple down—who didn't have a smart phone these days? Chuck could've remembered the name of the place well enough and just looked it up; he wasn't _stupid_.

He turned the card over again and reread Raleigh's name. That said, Chuck did now have Raleigh's number, even if he backed out on drinks.

Which he definitely wasn't going to do.


	2. Chapter 2

A few hours later, after a nap—because whatever, he was kind of tired—Chuck headed to take a shower. His dad had gotten home at some point during his nap, and he could hear him somewhere in the direction of the kitchen, probably getting something together for dinner. They didn't eat together every night, but Herc had probably seen that Chuck hadn't touched the kitchen, and figured he'd be hungry.

Chuck didn't have the appetite to eat, even if he had the time to anyway. He felt nervous, thinking about Raleigh now. He sort of missed the annoyance and the suspicion, frankly—at least Chuck was more used to dealing with those sorts of emotions.

He let out a sigh when he stepped under the hot water, and it wasn't until the first jolt of pleasure coursed through him that he really realised he'd started stroking himself. It wasn't so much that he was feeling pent up—he may not have been a teenager any more but he was still only twenty-one; he never did make it very long between wank sessions—he was just really damn nervous. Now that Raleigh was confirmed as not-a-dog-stalker, he was hot, and Chuck couldn't focus on much else. He let out a quiet groan as he pumped his hand up and down his dick, biting his lip as he circled the tip with his palm.

Raleigh was confident and outgoing. Older too, Chuck assumed, and thus, experienced. Chuck had only slept with one person: a guy he'd been seeing on and off the year before, and it'd always been kinda whatever. Raleigh could teach him things, Chuck's mind supplied, and his dick throbbed at the thought. He tightened his grip and braced himself against the shower tiles with his left forearm. Chuck felt his balls tighten and he exhaled deep, picking up his pace, ready to come. Raleigh was probably really good at fucking, could probably make Chuck come in ways he'd only really seen in porn—

He came at the thought now, hard and quick, and he finished off with his shower, feeling a little more relaxed, at least.

After getting back to his room, Chuck stood in front his closet, trying to decide what to wear. He didn't know what kind of place The Carson was, but "craft beers" implied a sense of... well, basically that jeans and a t-shirt weren't going to cut it. And all that left were his suits and dress shirts, more or less.

He really needed to go shopping sometime, probably. It'd seemed like such a waste of what little he earned in his internship but if he was going to be going on dates now and then...

Assuming the first one went well, anyway.

He scowled as a fresh rush of nerves settled into his gut and pulled out his plaid button-down. It was maybe a little collegiate, but it was that or one of dad's henleys.

Herc was in the kitchen when Chuck emerged from his room, standing with his back to Chuck at the stove.

"Hey," he called as Chuck approached. "You okay with spaghetti tonight?"

"Uh, got a date, actually..." Chuck glanced at Herc's back then went to grab a pair of shoes from the hall closet. "Won't be back for a while, can you take Max out later?"

Herc chuckled and Chuck heard the sauce pan sizzle as something was added to it.

Chuck frowned, feeling defensive. "What?"

"A date with your Playstation, you mean." Herc continued cooking and then finally turned when Chuck moved into the kitchen, giving him a once-over. "Well, shit."

"Yeah, 'well, shit,'" Chuck scoffed, leaning against the counter.

Herc smiled from the corner of his mouth. "Who is this person?"

"Just someone. That I met."

"Isn't that novel. Met today?"

"Uhh... yes and no. Ran into them a few times before today."

Ever since Chuck told him he was bi a couple years ago, Herc had made an obviously-conscious effort to use neutral pronouns, to not presume whether Chuck was seeing a guy or a girl. On one level Chuck found it endlessly entertaining, seeing his dad navigate things like that, but really, he appreciated it.

Herc hummed. "Well, have fun, then," he said, reaching for the bottle of balsamic vinegar from the back of the stove. "Maybe take Max with you, as an escort?"

Chuck groaned and pushed off the counter, heading for the front hallway. "Wanker. Hey, Max—" Max looked up from his spot on the couch, tucked against the armrest. "Why don't you go escort yourself into dad's closet and have a nice pair of shoes for supper?"

Max barked and hopped down from the couch and shook about, collar jiggling, before trotting off down the hall.

Chuck smirked to himself as he headed out the door, Herc's exasperated "Oi!" sending him off.

XX

Raleigh came to The Carson a lot. It was close to his place, and they could get their hands on a lot of beers that he'd never be able to find in stores. He'd come with friends usually, the few he'd made since moving from Anchorage, or sometimes he'd come on his own with a book. He knew most of the staff by name now, so there was always a good, friendly sort of atmosphere when he was there, alone or not.

Which is why he picked it, in case Chuck decided not to come.

He felt pretty sure that he would, though. Raleigh had caught the way Chuck had looked at him a few times—curious, a little heated—after he'd been convinced that Raleigh was going to steal or poison his dog, anyway. And he'd caught Chuck looking the business card over earlier too, after taking a quick glance back over his shoulder before turning the corner.

The card was a good touch, he thought. Yancy would be proud, would probably call Raleigh real smooth, or something.

Raleigh fidgeted with his linen sweater, tugging it into place even though it couldn't have shifted much since he'd sat down. He was nursing his beer, trying not to get too far into it in case Chuck was coming, or seem like he was trying to get drunk. Which he wasn't.

Not entirely.

A small buzz would work well enough.

Chuck passed through the door a few minutes past eight, and Raleigh flashed him a quick smile as he walked over to the high table Raleigh had claimed.

"Hey," Raleigh said. "I'm glad you came."

Chuck nodded and lifted himself onto a stool. He crossed his arms and leant his elbows on the table. The plaid fabric of his shirt pulled tight over his shoulders and biceps, and Raleigh tried not to stare.

"You want a beer? They've got other stuff too, of course, but their craft selection is pretty awesome."

Chuck nodded again, looking behind Raleigh and scanning the bar. "Yeah, uh, some sort of honey lager, I guess? If they have one?"

Raleigh smiled. "Definitely. There's a really awesome one that I like called Gipsy Danger. Sort of a weird name, I know, but it's good, I promise. Kind of a classic style, I guess you'd call it—" Raleigh paused, realising he was probably rambling a bit.

Chuck gave Raleigh a half-smile. "Yeah, sounds good."

"Cool. Maybe some jalapeno poppers too, they're awesome here," Raleigh said as he nodded at one of the servers. Wow, he needed to stop staying how 'awesome' everything was before Chuck noticed...

"Awesome," Chuck said, smirking.

Damn it.

Raleigh ordered and then tried to cover his blush with a sip of his beer. He could feel himself starting to seize up a little, and when he put his pint down, Chuck was looking at him, a little bemused. Raleigh had to find some sort of middle ground, quick.

Raleigh cleared his throat. "Shame you couldn't bring Max..."

Chuck scoffed and thanked the server when his beer came. He took a quick sip and then licked the head from his lips afterward, and as far as Raleigh was concerned, that made every bumble to this point worth it. "My dad said I should've had Max chaperone."

Raleigh smiled and let out a slow breath. He could work with this. "Oh, you live with your dad?"

Chuck nodded. "For now, yeah. Because of work."

"And what is it you do?"

"I'm a junior associate. With Eureka Tech? If you've ever heard of them?"

"Yeah, yeah, I have. We've overlapped with them a few times on different contracts."

"Right, I thought I recognised Pentecost Design from somewhere. I'm pretty new though, so just from older files and stuff." Chuck ate a couple jalapeno poppers and cocked his head at Raleigh. "Are you an... architect, then, I guess?"

"No, not exactly. I almost was... went to school for it and everything, but, uh. Dropped out, after third year. Y'know, some stuff happened..." He swallowed and dropped his eyes, focusing on his beer for a few moments. He didn't want to go into the whole Yancy thing, not now. He glanced up after a minute and Chuck was looking at him, even and patient, so Raleigh pushed on. There'd be time for that kind of stuff later, hopefully. "Anyway, I ended up doing random construction jobs, whatever I could get my hands on, but then I met Stacker, my boss, on a job. I'd caught a few mistakes in the blueprints right before it was almost too late, and uh, he hired me. On the spot, pretty much. I'm just an associate right now, helping out with whatever the project manager needs doing, but I'm working my way up, y'know how it goes."

Chuck nodded, smiling warmly at Raleigh. There were those damned dimples again.

"What about you? How'd you end up at Eureka Tech? It's a huge company, isn't it? I've heard it's real tough to get in there. Best of the best, that kind of thing."

"Um, yeah... you could say that. I'm not really full-on there yet? Still an intern, pretty much."

"You went to school for it, I guess?"

"Yeah, applied science."

Raleigh noticed Chuck's clipped answer and figured there was more to this, so he decided not to push. "When's your internship up?"

"June. Hoping for a full-time position after that, uh... we'll see, I guess."

 

They left The Carson after their third pint, though Raleigh had been reluctant to ask for the cheque when he did. He'd gone by Chuck's cues; after all, who knew how early he had to be up for work? It was nearly 10:30 by then.

It was still warm and humid when they got out on to the street, but it felt nice, comfortable. Raleigh just felt nice all over, he decided, giving Chuck a smile that he hoped wasn't too dopey.

"I'm up on Churchill," Chuck said, after a moment, smiling back at Raleigh. It was a different kind of smile though... knowing, almost.

Which was probably fair—Raleigh likely wasn't being overly subtle.

"Oh," Raleigh said. "Yeah, I'm on Gerard." He hooked his thumb in the general direction.

He and Chuck set off, walking close enough that Raleigh could feel Chuck's warmth through the linen of his sweater. He was tempted to reach for Chuck's hand, but...

Raleigh really was out of practice. And Chuck was legitimately gorgeous. Asking him out in the first place seemed to have taken up most of whatever 'smooth' points Raleigh had banked, because he was feeling everything _but_ , right then.

_Gotta stop thinking so much_ , Yancy would say. Along with some added jab at not straining an important muscle over it too, probably.

Raleigh frowned a little when he realised how close they were to the corner they'd need to separate at. He'd have to remember to suggest somewhere further away, next time.

Fuck, he really wanted there to be a next time.

"Well," Chuck said, as they came to a stop at the intersection.

"Yeah." Raleigh smiled quickly at Chuck, resisting the urge to shove his hands in his pockets. "Hey, thanks for coming."

Chuck smiled back. "Thanks for... not being a dog thief."

Raleigh laughed and nodded, running a hand over the back of his neck. "Yeah, glad we got that cleared up..."

They stood there for a few moments, as the lights that would've let Chuck cross the street changed. Raleigh wanted to say he'd text Chuck or something, but he realised he still didn't have his number, and it felt presumptuous somehow to ask.

"Here," Chuck said then, sticking his hand out. "Give me your phone."

Raleigh let out a small breath and dug his phone out of his pocket, handing it over. That was easy, if a little embarrassing.

Chuck added his number and when he passed the phone back to Raleigh, their fingers touched, warm and soft. And welcome.

It was as clear a signal as he needed, and Raleigh tipped forward, pressing his lips to Chuck's. His mouth was warm and plush, and Raleigh's hand came up to cup Chuck's jaw without much thought. Chuck made a small hum that was actually really adorable, and Raleigh couldn't help but smile a little against Chuck's mouth. 

Raleigh pulled away before the urge to work his way past Chuck's lips took hold, but he couldn't help running his tongue over his own lips once they'd separated.

Chuck gave Raleigh a lopsided smile as he straightened. "Text me," he said, flashing a dimple at Raleigh before taking a few steps back towards the curb.

Raleigh nodded dumbly—which had to have been at least 90% the dimple's fault, honestly—and finished off with a quiet "yeah," before Chuck turned and jogged to catch the tail end of his light.


	3. Chapter 3

The next morning Raleigh made it into work an hour earlier than he needed to be there. He'd barely been able to sleep, despite the three pints in his system and the strong orgasm he'd stroked out of himself after settling into bed.

Once he finally did fall asleep, it was restless and interrupted. At five thirty he just decided to give up trying. He had a long, searing shower, jacked off again, and walked the scenic route to work, and still made it in well before Mako and Stacker. That'd look good, at least.

Mako and Stacker arrived at eight on the nose, as always—or so Raleigh presumed. He usually wasn't in early enough to establish their pattern, but it was Stacker and Mako: punctuality was in their blood, so to speak.

Stacker said, "Good morning, Mr Becket," and nodded at Raleigh when he passed his desk through the open-concept office, and Raleigh was fairly sure there was the root of a smile there. That was progress. Raleigh waited until he saw Stacker go into his office at the end of the room before turning to Mako.

She was standing at her desk, situated across from Raleigh, two to-go coffees in her hands, and that same enigmatic smile on her face.

"What?" Raleigh said, working to keep his own expression neutral. He reached for the coffee he knew was his—just like every morning, bless Mako—with the stir stick jutting out of the lid. They both took lattes, but Mako was all about the almond milk and, ugh. Raleigh was a purist, thank you very much.

"You're here early," Mako replied. "You're never here early."

Raleigh nodded before taking a sip. "Was up early, so..." Mako sat down and logged onto her computer, then turned to look at him again, still with that... _knowing_ look on her face. "Couldn't sleep," Raleigh supplied, as if that put an end to everything.

Not that he wasn't bursting to give Mako details, because he really was. But, that look on her face was weirding him out, so he went on the defensive by default.

Mako hummed, pulling a few files out the organiser on her desk. "Why not?"

Raleigh shook his head and turned back to his computer. "No reason, really," he mumbled against the lid of his cup.

"Fine," Mako said archly. "You don't need to divulge all the details of your personal life to me, Raleigh. If you'd rather keep it to yourself, then by all means..."

She tucked an errant strand of blue hair behind her ear until it was hidden amongst the rest of the black and stood, heading towards the reception desk.

Raleigh frowned. She was planning on playing dirty, he could tell. She had her finger on the pulse of everything that happened in the office, and knew everything about everybody. He marvelled, and not for the first time, at how she managed to cultivate a reputation in the office of being the meek, mousy daughter of the boss, when the truth was she was the craftiest one out of everybody.

But he really needed to tell _someone_. He'd sent Yancy a few texts since getting home the night before, and Yancy hadn't answered any of them—not even a _Raleigh, I'm trying to sleep, leave me alone_. He resisted the urge to text Chuck now while Mako was gone. It wasn't like he believed in the supposed rules or anything but... less than twelve hours was unreasonable, probably.

Mako returned a few minutes later with another clutch of files and smiled quickly at Raleigh. "How was your night, then? Before not being able to sleep, I mean." She sat and leafed through one of the files, focusing on the pages in front of her, until she looked over at Raleigh, expectant.

Raleigh sighed and sipped his coffee, trying to deflect. But it was a losing battle; he could feel the... _feelings_ bubbling up inside and—

"Really good," he finally said, grinning at Mako over the top of his cup.

Mako smiled and pivoted in her chair to face Raleigh, clasping her hands in front of her on her desk. "I knew it! You are so transparent, Raleigh Becket."

"And you are so sneaky, Mako Mori."

"Who was it? No, wait, I know—the Australian, yes? With the bulldog?"

Raleigh nodded, biting back another ridiculous smile that twinged at his lips at the mere thought of Chuck.

Mako squeaked—sometimes she really did come by the mousy label earnestly. "Tell me, tell me!"

XX

Chuck glanced down at his phone as he sort-of listened to the VP of Finance go on about the projections for the second half of the year, thinking he'd seen the notification LED blinking, but it was a false alarm. He usually never fell for the phantom notification, but this was the fourth time since seeing Raleigh two days ago. He wasn't waiting for a particular message or anything, he kept telling himself, but really he was. He was too direct a person for games, most of the time, but he'd specifically said for Raleigh to text him. Maybe it was silly, and it probably qualified as a game, but... whatever. Initiation felt a little daunting, this time.

After a few more PowerPoint slides flicked across the screen pulled down from the ceiling of the meeting room, Chuck thought he saw the LED blinking again and his eyes dropped to stare at the upper right corner of his phone. No false alarm this time, so at least if it wasn't Raleigh, he could be assured by the fact that he hadn't gone round the bend.

He picked up his phone and hit the button to wake it up; his gut lurched, seeing the new message was a text. That was dumb; he got texts all the time during the day—and not only from his dad, though Herc certainly made up the lion's share—but... _Raleigh_ , his brain helpfully supplied. He glanced around the meeting room quickly to make sure no one was staring at him, and then tapped on the message preview—

_hey_

Anticlimactic, maybe, save for the fact it was indeed from Raleigh. Chuck's stomach flipped again and he turned the screen off before sliding the phone into the breast pocket of his jacket.

He may have been excited but he wasn't stupid—his boss, Tendo, was sitting across from him, and every single moment at work was a competition for Chuck. Such was the life of an intern at the most prestigious tech firm on the west coast.

 

Tendo clapped a hand to Chuck's shoulder as everyone filed out of the meeting room fifteen minutes later, giving him a wide smile.

"What do you think of those projections, Chuck?"

Chuck cleared his throat. "Look real promising, definitely. Will be a great way for the company to close out this fiscal."

Tendo smiled again, nodding. The little curl that sometimes fell across his forehead bobbed with the motion. Tendo was an interesting guy, and usually when Chuck used that descriptor about Tendo, he meant it in the euphemistic sense. Elvis hair and bowties probably wouldn't pass muster for any other employees at any other firm—rockabilly-chic somehow hadn't cracked the business professional market so far—but Tendo was an expert in his field, a consummate professional, and most importantly, the CEO, so.

"Hope we get to keep you on long enough for you to see the fruits of the whole thing," Tendo said, nodding at Chuck before continuing down the hall.

Chuck let out a rush of breath—the reason why every day was a competition for Chuck was because of things like that. Not that he'd ever let himself forget it, but he was reminded of it at every turn anyway.

His phone was burning a figurative hole in the pocket of his jacket, the weight of it like a brick all of a sudden, and instead of following after Tendo to his desk, he went left and out to the elevator bank, not stopping til he was downstairs and outside.

Raleigh had sent another two messages after the first.

_hey_   
_hope you're having a good day :)_   
_(this is raleigh btw...)_

Chuck smiled a little at the last—the lack of presumption was pretty cute.

_Hey. Yeah, so far. You?_

Raleigh answered wicked fast, which... also cute.

_better now_

Chuck wondered what that meant. Had he thought Chuck had given him a fake number or something? After giving it to him without his asking? Why would anyone—

_how's max doing? does he miss me yet?_

Chuck couldn't help but smile—grinning at his phone in the middle of the work day was not overly professional, but then, this was dirty pool that Becket was playing.

_Napping the day away, safe in the apartment, I hope.  
But yes, I have it on good authority that he'd like to see you again._

_oh really...  
i think that can be arranged. tomorrow? max's choice_

_Tomorrow. But Max may send me in his stead, if that's okay with you._

_so long as you bring him a doggie bag, sure  
wouldn't want him to miss out or anything ;)_

_No, of course not.  
Japanese? Yuji's on 4 th, 7 pm?_

_sounds perfect. i'll pick you up, what's your building #?_

_458 Churchill. See you then._

Chuck slipped his phone into his jacket pocket again and headed back inside. He had another thought as he waited for an elevator and reached for his phone again.

_PS. Still not entirely convinced you aren't using me to get to my dog..._

There was no answer by the time his elevator reached his floor, and still none by the time he passed through the doors to the part of the office his desk was in. He checked one last time just as he sat down, and...

_well then i guess i'll just need to try a little harder to convince you_

There was something about the message—the phrasing, the implication, whichever it was—that went straight to Chuck's dick. He couldn't just let it end with that... so he quickly glanced around to make sure no one was watching.

_Looking forward to it._

XX

Somehow Chuck was much more nervous about the second date with Raleigh than he'd been over the first, which he wouldn't have thought possible. The first had gone really well. There'd been a kiss. There'd been a couple flirty conversations over text since.

_Don't fuck this up_ , he told himself, as he passed through the door to Yuji's, which Raleigh held open for him, because of course he'd be that guy. _Really, really don't fuck this up_ , he repeated as—

" _Irasshaimase!_ "

—all the staff turned to great him and Raleigh.

" _Nanmei sama desu ka?_ " the hostess said as she came over.

" _Futari desu_ ," Raleigh answered.

Well, then, maybe he was just showing off, trying to impress Chuck. That didn't really seem like Raleigh's style, but why else would he have memorised how to ask for a table in Japanese?

But then Raleigh and the hostess spoke back and forth in Japanese as they moved to their table, and as they got settled, and somehow two tall drinks arrived before Chuck could even get his bearings.

He looked at Raleigh, eyebrow cocked, trying to figure... whatever that was, out.

"Uh," Raleigh started, and he blushed a little. Adorable. "I'm kind of learning Japanese. I mean I already know a little from when I was younger and travelled there, but... my coworker is Japanese. She's been helping me."

Ah yes, that sounded more like it. Raleigh wasn't the type to try to impress his date by knowing a bare minimum of another language, but he was the type to sneak a practice session in the language he was learning in whenever he could.

Chuck smiled at him, trying to put him a little more at ease. "And what's this then?" he asked, glancing down at the drink in front of him.

"Sake sours. I didn't really ask for them... or I guess I did, but I didn't really mean to. I was just trying to ask if they _could_ make them, but uh. Guess I conjugated something wrong, maybe?" Raleigh flashed a quick smile at Chuck then sipped the drink. "If it's not your thing, don't worry about—"

"Nah, no stress." Chuck reached for the drink and sipped it, and fucking hell it was _sour._ Not a bad taste, but... he swallowed and choked back a cough. "That'll put hair on your chest."

Raleigh laughed, looking up from his menu, and Jesus he really was pretty, wasn't he?

 

"Okay," Raleigh said as their first dishes arrived. "We're going to play a little game."

Chuck couldn't help but smile, looking at the way Raleigh was smiling. He smiled a fucking lot, and sometimes, especially in one of his worse moods, that would annoy the hell out of Chuck—no one was ever so happy, surely. No one save for Raleigh Becket, anyway.

But Chuck could play along with this. "A game?"

Raleigh hummed as he chewed. "It's a good one for getting to know people."

"Ah. Seems appropriate, then." Chuck smirked.

"It's like a question and answer thing, back and forth. Nothing off limits, but you can say 'pass' if you'd like to."

Chuck nodded, dipping a piece of sashimi in his soy sauce dish. "Shoot."

"Let's see... I already know you live with your dad, so... any siblings?"

Chuck shook his head. "None. Just me and the old man."

"And Max."

"And Max, yes. You?"

"Two. Jazmine, my sister. She's younger. Could be anywhere in the world at any given moment, sort of a free spirit that way. And Yancy, my brother. He's in Alaska still."

"And what does he do?"

Raleigh hummed and finished his sake sour. "Long story, sort of defeats the purpose of this particular game, but..."

Chuck cleared his throat. Well, fuck. That'd struck a nerve, hadn't it? "That's fine, onto the next. Favourite movie?"

Raleigh thought for a moment. "Homeward Bound."

Chuck shook his head. "Never seen it."

Raleigh got this look on his face and for a moment Chuck was afraid he was about to get the third degree about how on Earth could he have never seen this one random movie, which he always dreaded whenever he said he'd never seen anything, and which never failed to sour his mood.

"It's..."

"We should watch it sometime, yeah?"

Raleigh shook his head. "Nuh-uh. I'm not going to be responsible for inflicting that on someone."

Chuck laughed. "What, does it make you cry?" he asked, incredulous.

Raleigh nodded. "Frankly, I don't want to meet the person who _doesn't_ cry during that movie."

"Shit."

"Okay, you. Your favourite?"

"I don't really watch a lot of movies, but... The Italian Job, I guess."

"Oh yeah, that's a classic. Love Michael Caine in that."

"Uh, is he in that?"

Raleigh levelled his eyes at Chuck. "You mean the remake?"

"Didn't realise it was a remake. Saw it in theatres when I was a kid and everything."

Raleigh laid down his chopsticks. "Wait... how old are you, exactly?"

Chuck frowned. "Twenty one. Twenty two in a few months."

"Oh," Raleigh said, his eyes wide.

"Why, not what you expected?"

"No, actually. I mean... you don't _look_ twenty one."

"Thanks for the compliment, mate. I guess."

"But more than that too. Like your degree? Your job?"

Chuck shrugged. "Graduated high school early, finished the degree a semester early." He'd had to explain the whole thing a lot lately, since starting at Eureka. He'd learned to pare it all down to the minimum details. "Why, how old did you figure I was?"

"I hadn't really thought specifically, but... twenty five, twenty six, I guess?"

"Is that how old you are?"

Raleigh nodded. "Twenty six."

They were quiet for a moment, finishing off their last dishes. Chuck felt a heat settle in his gut and creep up the back of his neck. He could let this stew and fester and ruin his mood or he could just ask the question and sort it out right now.

"Is that a problem for you? My age?"

Raleigh smiled, looking bemused. "Are you kidding? You're basically a genius. I mean, the whole The Italian Job thing is alone a deal breaker, but..." He winked.

Chuck shook his head. "You're lucky you're cute, Becket."

 

Raleigh pulled up in front of Chuck's building, and for half a second, Chuck wondered whether he was going to put it in park or keep the engine running—he'd never have thought about it before but suddenly it seemed like a major detail...

And then Raleigh cut the engine.

Chuck wanted to invite him in, to get him to his room, to lay him out and slowly work his clothes off, but... Herc. "I, um... I'd invite you in, but..." _But my dad is upstairs_ seemed really lame to say, even if Herc was the furthest thing from a typical 'dad' while still deserving of the title.

Raleigh smiled at Chuck and shifted in his seat, facing him. "That's fine." He reached out, his hand slipping across the back of Chuck's neck. "Here works too," he said, voice thick and hushed as he pulled Chuck closer.

The kiss was simple and light—for all of a few seconds. And then it was deep, consuming, and pretty damn hot. Raleigh flicked the tip of his tongue at Chuck's lower lip before he worked his way into Chuck's mouth, and Chuck tilted his head to get him in deeper. Chuck shifted, giving himself better leverage and taking hold of Raleigh's jaw. He thumbed his cheek for a moment before sliding his hand back, his fingers carding through Raleigh's hair, and when Raleigh sucked a little on Chuck's tongue, he gripped into Raleigh's hair, drawing out a moan of him and into Chuck's mouth.

"Fuck, you're..." Raleigh breathed when they separated the slightest bit. Chuck shivered, sliding his tongue across his lips and tasting the sour bite of Raleigh's drink left there.

"Yeah, you too," Chuck rasped. "I'd, um..." He leaned in to kiss Raleigh again, briefly, unable to stand the distance any longer."I'd _really_ like to take you inside, but..."

Raleigh smiled against Chuck's lips. "Next time," he said, punctuating it with a nip at Chuck's lip. "Which will be soon."

Chuck nodded, swallowing thickly. Fuck, he was already kind of hard. "Yeah. Yeah... definitely."

He'd really meant to get out of the car then, but he leaned into Raleigh instead, letting his tongue slip in against Raleigh's. Raleigh circled his thumb over Chuck's neck, sending tiny shocks down Chuck's spine, straight to his dick, and he was going to have to do something about that, soon.

He pulled reluctantly away from Raleigh, who chuckled. "Yeah, agreed," he said, sliding his hand away from Chuck's neck. "Or else we're going to end up in the back of my car and that's not going to be nearly satisfying enough."

"Jesus... okay, yeah, I'm going. You're..." Chuck shook his head, smirking at Raleigh as he straightened in his seat. Raleigh eyed the tent in his pants, and fuck him, because that only made it harder for Chuck to tear himself away. "You're something else, Becket."

Raleigh smiled, slow and smug, before drawing his eyes up Chuck's torso. "Same to you, Hansen."

XX

Chuck had hoped that Herc might've left for work before him, but he'd already managed to dodge his dad the night before—which, given the situation in his pants, was a blessing. Two for two was clearly asking too much of whomsoever was in charge of these sorts of things.

"There he is," Herc drawled, glancing at Chuck over his shoulder from the kitchen. "You're solo, yeah? No overnight—"

"Jesus, dad. Yes."

Chuck bypassed the coffee, in favour of picking something up on the way, and reached for a banana instead. He peeled it open and when he next looked up, Herc was watching him.

"It went well, then?"

Chuck nodded, eyebrows raised.

"I saw his car from the window..." and Chuck very nearly choked on his mouthful of banana, and Herc, the colossal bastard, was smirking. "When he picked you up. Nice to know he can afford a car, but a Prius?"

Chuck swallowed and shrugged. Admittedly he'd wondered about the car too. Not for any reason other than men Raleigh's age tended towards sportier, flashier things, but then that wasn't really Raleigh, was it?

"What's his name?"

Chuck grimaced. "I don't really feel like—"

"It's just his name, Chuck. I'm not going to conduct a background check on the poor kid."

Chuck levelled his eyes at Herc. "Yet," he said with a scoff, leaning to toss his banana peel in the garbage. Raleigh probably composted and everything, shit.

Herc smirked, the wanker. "No, not yet. Maybe after the third date, but for now he's safe."

Chuck was still hungry—he was always hungry, to be fair—and could've done with a piece of toast or two but food only opened him to further inquisition, and well...

"Very reassuring," he said, going to retrieve his dress shoes. He could feel Herc watching him still as he slipped them on. He stood and reached for his keys and sunglasses from the hall table. "What?" Herc was still watching him.

"His name, Chuck. Don't make me break out my list of contacts..."

Sometimes having a security professional for a father had its distinct disadvantages. "It's Raleigh."

Herc scoffed, shaking his head. "These Americans and their names."

Chuck opened the front door and stepped through, before turning back and looking at Herc over the top of his sunglasses. "Pardon, _Hercules_?"

"Yes, right, fine. Go on." Herc waved Chuck off, retreating to the kitchen. "We can discuss when you're going to introduce us later tonight."

Chuck groaned and shut the door behind him. Herc was pretty cool, easy going, but there was a reason Chuck had yet to bring any of his former 'interests' home.

Raleigh was different, though. Real bloody different.


	4. Chapter 4

"How much do you know about rugby, anyway?"

Raleigh's eyes darted from Chuck to the flat screen a few feet away as he sipped his beer, as though the answer he needed was going to be plastered across the screen. "Um. Nothing, really. It's not… much of a thing here."

Chuck scoffed, leaning back in his chair and crossing his arms over his chest. "Truth, mate. So misguided, you Yanks."

There was one sports bar in the whole city that Chuck was aware of that played most of the Aussie league games, either live or pre-recorded, because it was run by a couple of expats from Melbourne. He and Herc would drop by to watch now and then on weekends, but more often than not, they ended up needing to record the games & watch them later. At least the lack of popularity of the sport made it easy to avoid having the outcome spoilt for him during the lag of the time difference.

"But you," Raleigh looked back at Chuck, appraising, "you clearly take this seriously."

Chuck glanced down at his shirt, running a palm over the logo patch on the left side of his chest. As kit went, his was very low-key—at least he wasn't one of those sad fucks with the jerseys plastered with adverts for Steggles chicken or the tacky tasselled scarves.

"Certainly. I've a cultural obligation."

Raleigh smiled. "Fair enough. The Roosters, though? Not the most menacing team name."

"Oi, you watch yourself, Becket. The Chooks won the Premiership last year, and have won it twelve times before that. They are serious business."

"And who are they up against this afternoon?"

"The Rabbitohs. Little better than pack of overgrown babies, they are. Just a dismal talent."

Raleigh laughed, shaking his head. "So really all I need to know is roosters good, rabbits bad."

Chuck smirked and nodded. "Yeah, just follow my lead."

He appreciated Raleigh making the effort, really, and for agreeing to come in the first place. Chuck figured the first few dates were meant to be neutral-territory sorts of activities, but Raleigh had seemed genuinely interested, so. But the games always got a little intense, and with a little day drinking, it wasn't the worst way to pass a Saturday afternoon.

 

In the middle of the second half, Chuck's phone rang, vibrating loudly against the table. It was Herc, and maybe even with Raleigh there Chuck would've answered it, but it came in the middle of a crucial play in the match. He couldn't afford to miss anything—not that Raleigh hadn't been plenty distracting already.

But then Herc left a voicemail, followed by a text right afterwards, which was unordinarily insistent of him. As Chuck read it, his gut sank.

_There's been an accident, taking Max to vet. Come as soon as you're able._

"Shit," Chuck said as he let out a deep breath.

Raleigh looked away from the TV at Chuck. "Is everything okay?" He glanced quickly between Chuck and his phone, his eyebrows knit together.

"It's Max. He's... um, I don't know. Dad's taken him to the vet. I have to..."

"Oh, yeah of course, you should go," Raleigh said with a nod, and called over a server.

Chuck felt in a daze, blindly reaching for his wallet, not realising that Raleigh had already passed over his credit card before Chuck had fumbled his wallet open.

"I, um. Shit. I drove you and everything..."

"Yeah, but I could... come? If you wanted me to, I mean."

"Oh, no, you don't have to do that, that's okay. I don't know what's happening, or..."

Raleigh frowned when Chuck's sentence trailed off again. "I know, but I want to. To be there for you, if you want me to be. But no pressure, I can get a cab otherwise."

Chuck frowned, trying to focus on the immediate issue at hand, instead of all the scenarios that could've landed his dog at the vet. "I... yeah, okay. That'd be good, actually."

They left the bar and as they walked towards Chuck's car, Raleigh reached and slipped his hand over Chuck's.

"Let me drive. Just tell me where to go."

Chuck nodded, looking down at Raleigh's hand, honing in on how warm and reassuring it felt against his. He handed Raleigh the keys and got into the passenger side.

 

The vet was close, thankfully, because a sense of panic had settled deep in Chuck's chest and was burning hotter as the time passed.

Herc was sitting in the waiting area when Chuck and Raleigh arrived. He stood as they approached, and his eyes flicked to Raleigh before settling on Chuck. His face was drawn, his mouth set in a frown, and the pit of anxiety in Chuck's chest yawned wider.

"What happened?"

"I had him out in front of the flat, letting him do his business like usual, and he just... Something caught his attention, maybe, I don't know, and he ran out into the street, and…"

"Is he...?"

Herc shook his head sharply and Chuck's gut plummeted for a moment before Herc spoke. "No news yet. He was... when I brought him in, and they're..." he sighed, frowning a little deeper. "We should hear something soon."

Chuck nodded and let out a shaky breath. Herc sat back down in the chair he'd been in before, and Chuck settled into one across from him, tugging off his Roosters' cap and laying it over his knee. Raleigh was standing a few feet away by the door, eyes focused on something on the floor. Chuck felt a little bad, dragging him along into this, but he'd insisted, and Chuck was thankful he was there, too.

"Dad, this is Raleigh." Chuck waited for Raleigh to look up and then gave him a quick smile, nodding for him to come over. "Raleigh, this is my dad, Herc."

Raleigh smiled at Chuck then turned to Herc, taking a few steps forward and holding out a hand. "Sir," he said. Their handshake was firm, sharp; Herc would appreciate that, Chuck knew. "Sorry that we have to meet like this."

Herc nodded and watched as Raleigh settled into the chair next to Chuck. "You drove Chuck here, then?"

Raleigh glanced at Chuck. "Yeah, I um..."

"In my car. We were watching the Chooks when you called. I asked him to come." Chuck looked between Herc and Raleigh, and then reached for Raleigh's hand, threading their fingers together. It was half a gesture for Herc, half a comfort for himself.

As Chuck expected, Herc's eyes dropped to his and Raleigh's hands clasped together, resting above Chuck's knee. His expression didn't change obviously, but Chuck still caught the slight glint in his eye all the same.

They sat in silence for what felt like hours, and Chuck grew more and more impatient. "How could they just leave us out in the waiting area like this?" He eventually said, tempted to go up to the reception and start demanding an update. "Going about their business, as if it was just any old day at the office?"

"Well," Raleigh said, his voice quiet. He began rubbing the edge of his thumb against the back of Chuck's hand, soft but with the faint rasp of something, a callus or a scar. "It kind of is, for them."

Chuck scoffed and nearly pulled away from Raleigh, but didn't.

"They'll give us an update when they know..." Herc sighed, his voice trailing off.

Raleigh looked at Herc, then at Chuck. "When they know exactly where everything stands," he added, smiling softly.

Chuck frowned, and leaned back in his chair, looking out the window behind Herc. He was glad Raleigh hadn't come out with an 'it'll be okay' or something; he wouldn't have been able to handle that. Pragmatism was better than false platitudes, always.

A vet emerged a little while later, smiling at Herc when she approached, and Chuck and Herc stood to talk to her.

"first things first," the vet—Dr Warren, per her name tag—said, holding her palms out and down in front of her, "Max is going to be fine."

Chuck let out a deep breath and he heard Herc do the same next to him. "Is anything broken?"

Dr Warren nodded. "He sustained an ulnar fracture in his left front leg—it's less serious than a radial fracture, thankfully, but it will need a cast. And he's a little bruised and is going to be pretty tender for a week or so. There hasn't been any internal damage based on our tests so far, however, we want to keep him here for overnight observation, just to make sure nothing sneaks up on us."

Chuck frowned. As injuries went, it seemed less severe—at least there wasn't some sort of internal or head trauma, but his stomach twisted at the vet's description all the same. He glanced over at Herc, and his face was drawn too.

"Can we see him?" Chuck asked.

"Sure, I can take you back to him. He's a bit drowsy from the pain medication we have in his IV, but I'm sure he'll be happy to see you."

Dr Warren moved towards an examination room, and Herc followed. Chuck glanced back at Raleigh, who smiled warmly in response and made a little shooing motion with one hand.

 

In the examination room, Max was lying on his side on the table, legs splayed as if in mid-run. His front left leg was set in a fresh cast that was then wrapped in olive green cloth, dotted with small white stars. Chuck wasn't sure what he was expecting, really—maybe something a bit closer to what he looked like when he napped at home, since the vet had said he was drowsy—but the sight of his poor dog laid out on the brushed metal table with an IV in his paw was a bit unsettling.

Herc moved to Max's side and stroked down his stomach to his flank while Chuck moved to his head. He knelt down to get at eye level and when Max registered who he was, he started wriggling, tongue lolling out.

"Hey, Max..." Chuck whispered, scratching under his chin. "Calm down, champ, you're gonna hurt yourself." Chuck looked over at Herc's hands, resting on Max's side, keeping him still.

If his dad or the vet hadn't been there, Chuck might've talked to Max a bit more, maybe even cooed at him a little, but there were some things that were just meant to stay between a man and his dog.

Besides, Max knew how he felt—he was the only one Chuck hadn't ever had trouble opening up to.

After another few quiet moments filled with Max's usual soft snorting and panting, Chuck and Herc returned to the waiting area. It was silly, maybe, and unfounded certainly, but Chuck half-expected Raleigh to be long gone by then.

Of course he wasn't, though—he was sitting exactly where Chuck had left him, typing something on his phone. He stood when Chuck came over, smiling warmly at him.

Herc squared everything away with the vet and sighed as he walked over to Chuck and Raleigh, his hands shoved in his pockets. "We can collect him any time after noon, they said."

"So, half past eleven it is, then," Chuck said, and Herc nodded, smiling a little. He looked fully beat, the poor guy. "I'm going to take Raleigh back." Chuck hooked a thumb outside. "I'll see you at home later?"

Herc nodded, moving to the clinic door and holding it open for Chuck and Raleigh. "Good to meet you," he said to Raleigh, holding out his hand again.

"Same to you, sir," Raleigh said, not missing a beat as he took Herc's hand. "I'm glad Max is going to be okay."

"He's a tough little bastard, that's for sure," Herc said. "Right, I'm beat. Chuck, see you." He nodded at Chuck and headed for his truck, waving them off over his shoulders.

Raleigh's hand found Chuck's again as they walked to Chuck's car. "You okay to drive?"

Chuck nodded. "Yeah, no worries," he said, and Raleigh squeezed his hand before pulling away to head to the passenger side.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> if anyone's curious, here's [chuck's roosters' gear](http://i.imgur.com/oR5GaaD.png). i will 100% admit that the only reason why i made one of their dates be watching a rugby game was to shove him into that polo in my head >:)
> 
> sorry for the short-ish chapter... i'd originally written this and the next chapter as one big long one but decided to break it up instead, and this was the best place to do it. next chapter is twice as long though! thanks to everyone who's commented or kudos'd so far ♥♥

**Author's Note:**

> come say hi on [tumblr](http://rahleighs.tumblr.com) if you like n.n


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